Writing with Repurpose

Did you like my play on words in the title? Hee, hee. Writers, of course, write with purpose, but we also repurpose as well. I’ll let you in on a secret. Writers can be stingy when it comes to cutting words, scenes, characters. Why you ask? Because we fall in love with these stories and sometimes it really, really hurts to let them go.

Case in point. When I first started writing Sentinel Lost, book 5 in my Mind Sweeper Series, I had an idea for a love interest for Misha. So I wrote what I think is this adorable little scene introducing the heroine. Then I tucked it away so that I could resurrect it for a later book. But half way through Sentinel Lost, another idea came to me like a V-8 smack to the head and I realized who Misha’s heroine would be – and it wasn’t the heroine from the adorable little scene I had already written.

Did I despair? No! Because I know that character will be used for a different story and a different hero! As a matter of fact, I already have her paired up with someone else in a future book. It’s so cool being a writer. I just LOVE it when you can repurpose a scene or character for another story.

And my repurposing doesn’t stop there…

This past December, I cleaned my entire house, purging out closets and drawers. On the floor of one of my closets I had stacks upon stacks of books (are you surprised?). And I always would cringe when I opened the door and peeked inside. So what did I do? I repurposed an empty dresser! Take a look. As I read the books, I place them in the bottom drawer of my dresser which is the donation drawer. Then I can pull them out and use them for giveaways and chapter raffle baskets, etc.  I just love it when a plan comes together!!!!